Seat and foot adaptor for tubs and showers

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a track cover and is comprised of a flat portion having a plurality of downwardly extending elongated walls running the length of the flat portion. The distance between each of the downwardly extending walls is approximately that distance between the door tracks of a sliding door which is disposed on the upper edges of the bathtub a resilient fastening means may be provided which is adapted to fit between a downwardly extending leg and a fixed leg on the track of the tub to secure the front portion in position covering the tracks.

United States Patent {72] Inventor Albert A. Bernstein 49 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn. N.Y. 11201 [21] Appl. No 877,612 [22] Filed Nov. 18, 1969 [45] Patented July 13.1971

[541 SEAT AND FOOT ADAPTOR FOR TUBS AND SHOWERS 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 4/1, 4/148, 4/l49,4/l54,4/185 [51] Int. Cl ..A47k 17/00 [50] Field ofSearch t t r r r r t i 4/1 148, 146 149, 154. 185;248/205 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.0l5,884 10/1935 Cudney 4/1855 2.193.527 3/1940 BentZ 4/1855 2.313.421 3/1943 Dalton, .lr 4/149 3,359,573 12/1967 Casebolt 4/149 3,389,408 6/1968 Pearson 4/185 5 Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant ExaminerHenry K. Artis A!lorneyl(irschstein, Kirschstein, Ottinger & Frank ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a track cover and is comprised of a flat portion having a plurality of downwardly extending elongated walls running the length of the flat portion. The distance between each of the downwardly extending walls is approximately that distance between the door tracks of a sliding door which is disposed on the upper edges of the bathtub a resilient fastening means may be provided which is adapted to fit between a downwardly extending leg and a fixed leg on the track of the tub to secure the front portion in position covering the tracks.

PATENTED JUL 1 31911 INVENTOR.

ALBERT A. BERNSTEIN ATTORNEYS SEAT AND FOOT ADAPTOR FOR TUBS AND SHOWERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a track cover and more particularly to a cover which provides a seat over the sliding door tracks on the edge ofa tub.

It has been well known that a bathtub which has been enclosed by shower doors provide, along the upper edge of the tub, a plurality of tracks in which the sliding doors are movable. The purpose of the sliding door is obviously to enclose an area in the tub so that if a bather wishes to use a shower rather than a tub bath he may close the sliding doors to prevent leakage of water from the shower, and spray from the shower, to impinge upon an area outside of the tub.

Because of the positioning of the tracks, for the sliding door, on the upper edge of the tub, these tracks prevent a bather from sitting at the edge of the tub. Obviously, the upwardly extending tracks would provide an area which could not be seated upon because of its uncomfortable feeling to the user and further the continuous placing of objects or the seating of the person's body on the tracks may injure the track so that it may not accomplish the purpose for which it was originally in tended.

Many persons, upon bathing, find it necessary and most advantageous to be able to sit on the upper edge of the bathtub for numerous and varying reasons. This opportunity has been wholly removed by the disposition and location of the tracks along the upper edge ofthe tub.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties in prior use of the bathtub by providing an inexpensive and well constructed means of covering shower door tracks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flat surface area over the shower door tracks to permit the bather to be seated on the upper edge of the tub.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shower doortrack cover which will snugly fit over the tracks on the edge of the tub without the use of outside fasteners.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a track cover which is telescopically expandable to cover the entire length of the exposed shower door track for permitting the bather to sit upon the edge of the bathtub.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a resilient member which is attachable between the downwardly extending legs of the track cover and the permanent upright legs of the shower door track to insure the maintenance of the positioning of the track cover over the shower door tracks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shower door track cover which is either of a plastic or metal material and which is removable from said track cover so that the track of the shower doors may be utilized.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the other objects, and other objects of the present invention, have been achieved by providing; a track cover having a flat top surface, a plurality of downwardly extending legs, each of said legs being positioned approximately the same distance apart, said legs adapted to fit between the upwardly extending tracks of a shower door track and fit thereon to cover said tracks, and a fastening means adapted to be resiliently mounted between said downwardly extending legs and said upwardly extending tracks to insure a snug positioning of the cover on the tracks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the respective views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tub and track arrangement,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the track cover, and t F IG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a fastening means. 4

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is gem-raliy shown a shower door track cover 10. The shower door track cover may be composed of a plastic material or a metal; however, I prefer that the cover 10 should be made from a plastic, since this would make the product much more economical.

structurally, the track cover 10 is provided with an elongated generally flat portion 12 having a nonskid finish which may be comprised of a plurality of ridges 14 running the length of the upper surface of the elongated flat portion 12. The upper surface may be viewed as an elongated platform from which there depends a plurality of downwardly extending legs 16. A second track cover element 13 identical in construction with the track cover 10 may be provided which telescopically engages the track cover 10 permitting the elongation of the cover over an extended shower door track 20. It may be seen that a single-track cover 10 may be provided or in the alternative an extensible cover (10,18) track cover may be utilized.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the standard shower door tracks 20, shown in FIGS. I and 3, are provided on the upper edge 22 of a bathtub to permit the maintaining of a sliding door arrangement on the edge 22 of the bathtub. The door tracks 20 are so constructed as to provide a pair of tracks 24 in which shower doors 26 are slidable to and fro. The tracks 24 are generally formed by three upwardly extending walls 28 which are equally laterally spaced one from the other. The distance between the laterally spaced upwardly extending walls 28 is standard so that differently manufactured shower doors are insertable in the tracks 24 and are usable therein.

As shown in FIG. 3, my invention provides for the downwardly extending legs 16 to fit against and between the upwardly extending walls 28 of the tracks 24. A very tight fit is not critical, however, fasteners 30 may be provided (see FIG. 3) to hold the track cover 10 in position over the shower door tracks 20, the fasteners 30 will hereinafter be described in greater detail.

Structurally, the upper edges 32 of the upwardly extending walls 28 of the shower door tracks 20 are adapted to engage the bottom surface 34 of the elongated fiat portion 12, when weight is applied to the elongated flat portion 12, as by a person sitting thereon or resting his foot thereon. It may be seen that the upper edges 32 of the upwardly extending walls 28 of the shower door tracks 20 rigidly support the elongated flat portion 12 which receives the weight of the user.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fasteners 30 are provided with hollow tubular bodies 36 which are adapted to fit one within the other and capable of sliding back and forth therein. A resilient member 38 such as a spring is seated within the bodies 36 and may be compressed, under pressure, such that a pair of oppositely disposed knobs 40, disposed on each end of the bodies, will be urged against the interior of the upwardly extending walls 28 and the downwardly extending legs 16.

In this manner the fasteners 30 are used to hold the track cover 10 in position on the shower door tracks 20 so that the cover 10 may not be easily jostled from position over the shower door tracks 20. It should be noted that the elongated flat portion I2 is wider than the aggregate distance between the downwardly extending legs 16 of the track cover 20. In this manner, a relatively wide upper surface is provided on the elongated flat portion 12 sufficient to support a persons weight thereon.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the above described invention promote a usable space for the bather to be seated on the top of the tub and further provide an area of support along the length of the heretofore unusable shower door tracks.

' ther'e tb or thereby.

1. A track cover for covering shower door tracks at the edge of a bathtub when said shower door tracks are exposed com prising a flat top portion, a plurality of legs extending downwardly from said flat top portion, each of said downwardly extending legs laterally disposed each from the other permitting the positioning of said downwardly extending legs adjacent the upwardly extending walls of said tracks, and a nonslip surface disposed on said flat top portion for preventing the sliding of objects from said flat top portion, said flat 1 top portion and nonslip surface forming a seat.

2. A track cover according to claim 1 wherein said flat top portion is wider than the aggregate distance between said plu- 0 wall of said track and a downwardly extending leg of said track cover to hold said track cover in place over said tracks. 

1. A track cover for covering shower door tracks at the edge of a bathtub when said shower door tracks are exposed comprising a flat top portion, a plurality of legs extending downwardly from said flat top portion, each of said downwardly extending legs laterally disposed each from the other permitting the positioning of said downwardly extending legs adjacent the upwardly extending walls of said tracks, and a nonslip surface disposed on said flat top portion for preventing the sliding of objects from said flat top portion, said flat top portion and nonslip surface forming a seat.
 2. A track cover according to claim 1 wherein said flat top portion is wider than the aggregate distance between said plurality of legs extending downwardly from said flat top portion.
 3. A track cover according to claim 2 wherein the distance between each of the downwardly extending legs being the same distance as the distance between the upwardly extending walls of the shower door tracks.
 4. A track cover according to claim 3 wherein said track cover is telescopically extendible.
 5. A track cover according to claim 4 wherein a fastener is provided and is adapted to fit between an upwardly extending wall of said track and a downwardly extending leg of said track cover to hold said track cover in place over said tracks. 